Game.



H. M. HATFIELD.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I9. 1914.

1,161,77. y Patented Nov. 23, 19.15.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

H. M. HATFIELD.

GAME.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I9. 1914'.

1 1 61,770. Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETS- HEET 2.

MJL-BELL :HARRY M; IIATFIELD, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME.

Specication of lLetters Patent.

application med February 19, 1914. serial No. 819,709.

Chicago, in the county of C ook and State of- Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improye'ments in Grames, 'of which the following is a description. 'v s My invention belongs to that'general class of devices known as games, and relates particularly to the well vknown game of baseball. v

More particularly it relatesto an'in-door oizparlor baseball cardgame. With modifications, however, the game is adapted for playing games other than baseball.

The invention has among its objects the production of an indoor or parlor game of the kind described thato is attractive, entertaining, simple, and which, in so far as possible, will resemble the actual game of baseball, with all the thrills, uncertainties, and unexpected'happenings to be had in the ball park, thereby compelling interest ,and excitement on the part-of the players.

It also has among its objects the produc.- tion of a game which may beI played with scores similar, or. as much 'ke the regular game of baseball as possibl 5 as compared with the average baseball as played by major leagues baseball teams, and contains all the various plays possible on various situations,

. preferably arranged so that 'the percentages of pla-y and scoresI in the game correspond to 40 'cliaracte'rs indicatel like or corresponding alarge extent with vthe actual game;

To thisend my invention consists in theA novel construction, arrangement; and' 1combination of parts herein shown and departicularly pointed out parts, lFigure 1 is aA plan ViewI of a game 'boardsuitable for use in the game herein described; Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,v 7, 8, 9 and` 10 are plan views of. several cards H.employed in the game; Figs. lland 12 arevsimila-r views ofV modified lforms of cards; Fig. v13 is a plan View of aportion of a board provided with a chart adapted to beused with the cards shown in Figs. 11 and 12; Figs..- `1l and 15 are plan views of other modied forms of cards;-Fig. 16 `is a plan view of another form of board and chart, and Figs. 17 and 18 are perspective views of suitable -Referring tothef drawings, in which lsevbe mentioned that the preferred form of games is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 10 inclu-l sive. It may be first; said, in order that the detail description maybe clear, that the complete game consists of a. deck of cards anda board a-ndmarkers, which board and markers are preferably ,employed for convenience in playingythe game. As is well- `known to those who are familiar with Athe lPatented, Nov. 23,1915.- l

American national game of baseball, there on second alone; batter up with men on first and third bases; batter up with a man only on third; batter up with men on second and third bases, and the batter up with all` the bases full. In my game I preferably provide a plurality of cards, each suitably indicating one or more of these possible situations, andthe play suitable for the actual situation indicated While each single card may indicate but one situation and4 the play suitable therefor, I preferably combine tlie eight situations on each ca rd, and indicate thereon, in conjunction withi the situation, a play suitable for each condition or-situa'tion. By so doing the number of cards is'very materially reduced, and the playing of thegame is greatly facilitated. The 4board 'and' markers hereinfdescribed are merely for the convenience of the players in keeping track of fthe condition of the game, so that the particular situationl atthe time of playing each card may be'r'eadily determined. i

With the preceding brief description of the game, reference may be .had to the aci companying drawings.

Referring first to Fig'. 2, a card lis shown illustrating one ofthe complete packs of cards, it being understood that the particularA plays' indicated' .onlv the' cards may be variedaskdesired. The cardV shown is arranged `to `cover the situations previouslyf mentioned and indicated thereon at 2, 3, 4,

-5, 6, 7 8 and 9 respectively. At 10, `11, 12,

13, 14,15, 16 andl? respectively, are indicated plays suitable for each of the situa-, A

If desired, the several tions referred to. situations may be'divided by lines 1 19, for convenience lin finding the particuand larsituation on the card. Additional cards-1 third bases suitably, designated.

2o, 21, 22, 23, 2i, 25, 26 and 27 are Shown' in Figs. 3 to 10 inclusive, as illustrative of various other cards, it A being understood that there may be anynumber of-cards in the deck, or that any desired number of cards in the deck may be used. 'As a matter of fact, in the preferred form of the game, sixty cards may be provided. Some o-f these cards may, ofcourse, be duplicates., if so desired, or the different combinations or plays onthe cards may be varied. In playing the game, the cards are shuiled before each vhalf inning, and they are then placed face downward on the table, they player taking the topmost card from the deck. After recording his play,as directed, he

places the card face on the table, apart from the pack. The person who is playing, or A that is, who is supposed to be at bat, plays until the completion of three outs, as in the out-door game, after which the neXt player takes his turn at drawing the cards and recording hisplays, as directed, until he has three outs.

In Fig. 1 is shown a board 28 arranged in a particularly convenient manner yfor recording or indicating the different situations,^as well as the standing of the player during his inning. Referring to this g-I ure, 29 indicates a suitable diamond having the home plate and first, second and There may also be provided on the board suitable space 30 yfor designating the number of outs, suitably designated spaces 31 for in- .dicatingA the strikes, suitable spaces 32 for f ample, one player might have red markers and the other blue.

It isbelieved that -the playing of the gamel will be obvious from the preceding. However, it may not be amiss to give a brief description of playing the game, which will tend to makeclearer the modified forms hereafter described. If there is not a man on any base, the person playing,

` in turning over his card, refers'to the batter-up space, as, for instance, referring to card 1, and for this situation the batter would be out, and another card is drawn, if not the third out. If, however, forA instance card 20, had been drawn, the batter would take his base on balls. .The same would be true if card 24. If, however, card 25- was drawn, it would count for a threebase hit. The player would place a marker on the board correspondingf'with the indicated play. He vwould then draw the next card, for example, assume thatit were card 26, and card 25 had been the one previously drawn, and the situation in this case is, a man on third base only. Referring to card 26, for this situation we find that the batter is out, but the man on third makes one run. In case there is a repetition of ball or strike, and the marker is moved to the space designated, ball two, strike two, or three, etc., depending upon the standing of the player. The usual baseball rules apply, and four balls constitute a base, three strikes an out, three outs a half inning, etc.

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 illustrate another form of the game, lin which `33 and 36 are two cards only of the set. As shown, the card y33 is provided with a designated situation 34; the play being indicated by a suitable character, as for example, numeral 120. A chart is provided carrying the identifying play characters, so thatireference may be had to the chart, so as `to translate the character. In Fig. 13 I have illustrated the board 37 having a chartarranged thereon, only a portion of the same being shown. ring to this figure, 38 indicates the identify-- ing characters, in this case numerals, and 39 the translation, so that by referring to the board the particular play may be determined.

Figs'. 14 and 15 show the situations bearing numerals, the particular play being written out in full. Only two cards 40 and 41 are shown. Referring to Fig. 14, card 40 is provided with the situation characters 42, and the play, information or directions 43, 44, etc., in this case theboard 45 provided with a diamond 46, and any suitable means' for recording the standing of the game, if so desired. I have shown characters 47 on theboard, translating different situations on the cards. It is needless to say that these forms of cards and boards shown in Figs. 11 to I6 are merely for illustration of a portion of the modified form of the game. Any' other identifying characters for'designating the situations or plays may be-employed, as previously set forth, if so desired, and the cards may be arranged with only one situation and its appropriate play on a card. In this case, however, it might be necessary to play several cards before a card having the proper situation upon it would be reached, and the numbers of cards would be multiplied by the number of stations.

'It is, of course, obvious that the situations may be placed upon the card in the same manner as the placing of characters on the ordinary playing card, so that the same may reach from either end, obviating the turning around of the card, as might be the case if the cards were made to reach from. only Refercolor, so as to distinguish the two-sides.

one end. This may be done by duplicating the situations of the plays of the card, i. e., dividing it into sixteen spaces in the case shown,- or by putting the reversal of the same in some sections. This is merely mentioned, and" it is not considered necessary to illustrate the same. In Figs. 17 and 18 I have shown two of the markers 48 and ,49, and as was previously stated, one may be of one color and the other of another Two, four, or any number of persons may play the game, or one person may play it as solitaire, making the plays for both teams. Leagues may be organized and the game played after the manner of progressive euchre, cinch, or the like. t

I have not endeavored in the drawings to illustrate the game as applied to other subjects than baseball, but from the preceding description and, the illustrations of the same, as applied to baseball, its application to foot ball, tennis, golf, and other sports, or games, Will be obvious.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various modifications may be made inthe same Without departing from .the spirit of my invention; hence I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement or combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l w

1. In a game of the kind described, a plurality of playing cards each provided with means for indicating a possible vsituation in the game, and with means for indieating a complete play or move suitable for that situation.

2. In a game, a plurality of playing cards, each provided With identifying characters for indicating a plurality of different possible situations that might arise in the game, and with means for indicating a complete play and result suitable for each situation.

3. In a baseball game, a playing card arranged to indicate eight possible situations at the time of the playing of the card, and

provided with means for indicating a proper play for each situation. Y

al. In a baseball game of thekind described, the combination of a plurality of playing cards, each arranged to indicate a plurality of possible situations or standing of the team at bat in an inning, and with means for indicating a play or move proper for each indicated situation.

5. In a baseball game, a plurality of cards, each card provided with suitable identifying characters thereon for representing eight different situations possible in every game of baseball, in any7 half inning, each indicated situation provided with means for indicating aplay suitable to each -indicated situation, whereby the player is directed to make a certain move, depending upon the particular situation atthe time of the play.

6. In a baseball game of the kind described, and in combination, a game board' lmeans for indicating a proper play suitable for the situation as indicated by the places of the markers on the board.

7. In a baseball game, the combination of a suitable board provided with the representationl of a basebalhdiamond thereon, a plurality of markers for representing players,;.and indicating the condition of the basesat all times, and a plurality of playing cards, each yprovided with means for indicating the various possible arrangements of the markers on the board, and with means for designating a .possible play by the batter suitable to the arrangement of the markers on the board, and indicating the eiect of the play on any other player on the bases,

and their further condition as a result of the play.

8. In a baseball game of the kind ldescribed, the combination of a plurality of dissimpar playing cards, each card havingV spaces properly designated to indicate a plurality of situations suitable for the teams at bat,v and identifying characters to indi'- cate a particular play for each situation, whereby a play to be made is completely determined by the situation met with at the time the play is made.

9. In a baseball game, a plurality of substantially dissimilar cards, each bearing suitable inscriptions thereon for designating a play by the batter, common 1n a baseball game, and the effect of the play on the bat- -ter as well as the effect on any preceding batter or batters on the bases Who have not scored.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence-of two sub-V 1 scribingl Witnesses.

HARRY M. HATFIELD.

Witnesses ROY W. HILL, CHARLES I.VC0BB.

l V(5 llleztlogn 1n Letters yPatent No. 1 ,161,770.

It is hereby certifledthet in Letters Patent No. 1,161,770, granted November 23,

1915, upo the application of Harry M. Hatfield, of Chicago, Illinois, for an improvement in Games, en error lappears in the printed specification requiring correction as followe: Rage 3, line 101, claim 8, for the Word dssimprVread dissimilar; and' that thev seid Letters Patent should be read with this corretion therein that the same msy conform to the record of the case in the PatentOee.

` Signed and sealed this 11th day of January, A. D., 1916.

{SEAL} y J. T. NEWTON,

. X dating Commissioner ofPatents. vC1., 46--6a 

